1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to eyewear, and more particularly, to systems and methods for rimless eyewear.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, eyewear includes two lenses, a bridge to support the eyewear from a user""s nose and two temples to further position the eyewear by contacting either side of the user""s head. Most temple designs are supported by the user""s ears. Much eyewear includes a frame for each of the two lenses and incorporates the bridge and temples into a general frame design. In this general frame design each of the temples is hinged from one of the lens frames and the bridge connects the two lens frames together.
Some eyewear does away with the two lens frames and instead attaches the temples and bridge directly to the lenses to form a rimless frame design. These rimless designs are desirable, but unfortunately experience quality control and durability problems due in part to the requirement of affixing the temple and bridge hardware directly to the lenses.
The present invention resides in a rimless frame system and method. Embodiments include a first lens and a second lens, each lens having a hole with a hole diameter and an inner surface, each lens having a circumferential surface; and a first temple connected to the first lens and a second temple connected to the second lens. Each temple includes a positioning member, a connection member, and a hinge. The positioning member is coupled to the connection member by the hinge. The connection member of each temple includes a threaded pin with a pin diameter and threads. The threaded pin extending into the lens hole of the one of the first and second lenses to which the temple is connected.
The connection member further includes an expandable sleeve being a longitudinal hollow cylinder having an inner sleeve diameter, an outer sleeve diameter, an outer sleeve surface and first and second ends. The first end has an opening with an inner diameter greater than the pin diameter. The second end has an opening with a second inner diameter. The threaded pin extends through the first end opening and within the expandable sleeve.
The connection member further includes a tapered cap having an interior and a first end portion with an opening providing access to the interior. The interior has a threaded inner surface. The threaded pin extends into the interior of the tapered cap through the opening of the tapered cap. The tapered cap is threaded onto the threaded pin. The first end portion has a first exterior surface portion with a first outer diameter smaller than the second inner diameter of the expandable sleeve. The tapered cap has a second portion having a second exterior surface portion with a second outer diameter greater than the first outer diameter. The tapered cap extends at least partially within the expandable sleeve.
The tapered cap has an exterior surface extending between the first and second exterior surface portions with an outer diameter increasing from the first outer diameter of the first end portion to the second outer diameter of the second portion to increasingly frictionally engage the tapered cap with the expandable sleeve and radially outward expand the outer sleeve diameter of the expandable sleeve as the tapered cap is being threaded onto the threaded pin. The second outer diameter of the tapered cap is sized to radially expand the expandable sleeve to increase the outer sleeve diameter sufficiently to frictionally engage the outer sleeve surface with the inner surface of the lens hole within which positioned to securely connect the connection member with the one of the first and second lenses to which the temple is connected.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.